willow and squiggles
Mama Doe
With all the bad wind i bet all mine are bare too. Im even worse off than you because i havnt been risking the floor stuff. I will have to search out some brambles. I wish i knew if a place was 100% free of wildies. x
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my foraging diary
- Thread starter willow and squiggles
- Start date
MightyMax
Banned
Well there's not a lot left hereThe Ash leaves have all fallen due to the wind. There are a few Alder leaves and a few Apple leaves, but they won't last very long. There's a small amount of Cow Parsley and a small amount of Dandelion. And that's it basically. Roll on March
I've got loads of Cow Parsley and dead nettle and a few fallen ash leaves ... tiny bit of Dandelion.
willow and squiggles
Mama Doe
Do you grow all that in your garden mightymax. Im going to grow weeds in spring. I would love to be able to just pick it from the garden.
MightyMax
Banned
Nooo
It's from across the way where there's a rare green patch I've got some silverweed growing, and hopefully some dead nettle and plantain. Not a lot really - most of the ash leaves were from my neighbour x
We've managed to increase the quantity and variety of plants growing in the garden over the years. It's a case of leaving some to flower and seed and not picking it all for the rabbits :lol: We have hedges around the outside of the property and it's at the base of the hedges, both inside and outside, that most of the plants are to be found. Most of the plants will quite happily self-seed.
Twigs has *loads* of wonderful weeds in her garden. Absolutely splendid hogweed and loads of it
Yes, I can imagine Twigs' garden and would really love to see it (and her rabbits)
Hogweed is something that we also have a lot of now, or perhaps it's that I recognise it so much more readily now
It's even growing up in the gravel outside the garage :shock:willow and squiggles
Mama Doe
I would love a massive garden to grow weeds and plants. Im going to grow marigolds in spring/summer. The buns love the marigold and dandilion hay from b&m and im going to have a go adding in to their other hay too. I cant wait for spring to get started early this year. Ive only just got confident with hogweed. Do you think im being silly not picking forage off the floor when i picked it from the same places a few months ago? Plus all the walking i do i could be easily bringing vhd2 in on my shoes too. I feel silly at times.
The Marigolds should be quite easy to grow. Something else to consider would be perennial Geraniums. I don't know how much room you have in your garden, but Geraniums could also be grown in a large container. We have quite a few in the front (cottagey-type) garden and the rabbits love the leaves. They are quite prolific and produce leaves all through the year. I'm even cutting them now.
I don't think that you're silly about the vhd2 risk, but I find it very difficult to quantify and assess the risk. My rabbits will not get their vaccination until 9th Dec and I know we still get wild rabbits in the garden. I am still giving them Cow Parsley and Plantain from the garden, but have not given them any dropped Apple leaves this year. I know this isn't consistent and I make no excuses for this. I also know that if I was feeding supermarket cabbage I would probably be running the same risk. Also hay must be a risk.
What I would do in your circumstances is to be careful about your shoes and remove them before entering where the rabbits are.
The more you know and appreciate about rabbits makes it harder doesn't it :?
I don't think that you're silly about the vhd2 risk, but I find it very difficult to quantify and assess the risk. My rabbits will not get their vaccination until 9th Dec and I know we still get wild rabbits in the garden. I am still giving them Cow Parsley and Plantain from the garden, but have not given them any dropped Apple leaves this year. I know this isn't consistent and I make no excuses for this. I also know that if I was feeding supermarket cabbage I would probably be running the same risk. Also hay must be a risk.
What I would do in your circumstances is to be careful about your shoes and remove them before entering where the rabbits are.
The more you know and appreciate about rabbits makes it harder doesn't it :?
MightyMax
Banned
You're not being silly at all
It is a risk picking forage and I harvest the cow parsley etc from ground level and also tree leaves that have fallen. This is from my garden and elsewhere. I have never seen wildies where I pick but that doesn't mean the risk isn't there. We each choose how we want to assess it, I think.
My shoes always get taken off at the door anyway and always have been. They are only used for going out the front door.
I think I would recognise hogweed - I just don't see any! The bunnies are still grateful for your ash recognition, WS :wave:
Tbh anything you grow in a small space is only going to be enough to supplement anything that you can forage from elsewhere.
I think if I had just pots and a small border I would certainly grow herbs. A tall Parsley (Gigante di Napoli) would work well. A Marjoram would also produce quite a lot of pickings. Dandelions seem to produce leaves for a long period and also Red Deadnettle is fairly robust and prolific.
I think your best bet is to find a good foraging site nearby
I think if I had just pots and a small border I would certainly grow herbs. A tall Parsley (Gigante di Napoli) would work well. A Marjoram would also produce quite a lot of pickings. Dandelions seem to produce leaves for a long period and also Red Deadnettle is fairly robust and prolific.
I think your best bet is to find a good foraging site nearby
MightyMax
Banned
I find a rosemary in a pot is not only very hardy (winter proof) but bunny resilient too. They do eat it, but aren't able to demolish it completely!
I bought some strawberry plants and rationed them through netting. Sage was OK but got a beating. I find something just a little out of reach (i.e. not able to jump in) quite good, because they can peck at it, but not gobble it up. My marigolds were like that
Plantain they will eat fast, and buddleia too probably. Though they are quite hardy and grow back.
You'll have loads of lovely foraging nearby JB won't you?
joey&boo
Wise Old Thumper
I find a rosemary in a pot is not only very hardy (winter proof) but bunny resilient too. They do eat it, but aren't able to demolish it completely!
I bought some strawberry plants and rationed them through netting. Sage was OK but got a beating. I find something just a little out of reach (i.e. not able to jump in) quite good, because they can peck at it, but not gobble it up. My marigolds were like that
Plantain they will eat fast, and buddleia too probably. Though they are quite hardy and grow back.
You'll have loads of lovely foraging nearby JB won't you?
good ideas thank you. Need something trailing. Was also thinking of mallow, spirally willow? Foraging will be good yes but nowhere near as plentiful. I'm imagining myself in a frock & wicker basket rather than raiding a sackfull in 5 minutes wearing me jim jams (like where I used to live). Obviously I jest about the frock but I will definitely have to het fully dressed. No main road which makes me happy. I hated the road we lived on before. Out back good, out front bad :lol:
MightyMax
Banned
Yes didn't you used to stray out onto a disused railway in a onesie? Or have I embroidered that? :lol:
joey&boo
Wise Old Thumper
Bob sometimes went in his black bear onesie :lol: I'd go in pyjamas but normally annorack or fleece as well. I don't do onesies
MightyMax
Banned
:lol: Well I'm into embroidery, as you know! I had in mind you set fire to your onesie, but probably a long time ago :lol:
I'd better not get onto the subject of my 'interesting' dressing gown :lol:
joey&boo
Wise Old Thumper
indeedy, i made nead to bear all
:lol: setting fire to my onesie makes me sound a right weirdo :lol: It just got caught multiple burns on it from strippnng a radiator with a heat gun thingy. Dastardly gloss paint
MightyMax
Banned
[/B] indeedy, i made nead to bear all
setting fire to my onesie makes me sound a right weirdo :lol: It just got caught multiple burns on it from strippnng a radiator with a heat gun thingy. Dastardly gloss paint
What's this new word you just invented?
<just practising my distraction technique :lol:>
willow and squiggles
Mama Doe
Just been foraging and all i managed to get was brambles and hazel. There was cow parsley and hogweed everywhere but i cant pick it. I cant wait for spring now.
